Holding the Blue Line

The Edmonton Oilers weren’t very good against Boston on Thursday night, and a big part of the problem was an inability to hold their own blue line.

Reilly Smith’s Goal

Let’s start with the Boston Bruins exiting their own end of the rink. The Oilers have two players trapped deep while the Bruins have three forwards coming out of their own end, making this a three-on-three scenario.

Eberle (14) does kind of a weird thing here, cutting over to the wing through Patrice Bergeron (37) rather than staying at the centre of the ice; this opens up the right side for the Bruins and unsurprisingly they opt to pass in that direction.

Still, the Oilers are in good shape here. This is essentially a two-on-two rush with Eberle the fifth man; Schultz is playing Bergeron close on one wing so he isn’t a realistic pass option and that leaves Nikitin with the job of handling Reilly Smith (18) one-on-one. He’s already at the blue line while Smith has just crossed centre, so his job is simply to try and force Smith into making a play at the blue line – with Bergeron covered and Eberle trailing the play this shouldn’t be a problem.

Inexplicably, Nikitin doesn’t force the issue at the defensive zone blue line; instead he backs all the way in, playing Bergeron and Smith like this is a two-on-one situation despite the fact that Schultz is in really good shape to cover Bergeron (who realizing what’s up is booking it to the middle of the ice to give Smith an option). Eberle isn’t in a great spot after his weird decision to cut to the wing, but that’s decidedly an auxiliary issue; the real problem here is that Nikitin has rolled out the red carpet for Smith to enter the zone.

Schultz has his guy, Eberle has his guy, and Nikitin finally decides to stop backpedaling. The trouble is that he’s at the top of the circle by the time he decides to try and force the issue.

Smith, finally forced to make a play, realizes he’s in a good spot so he lets the shot go. Nikitin tries to block it, but instead gets used as a screen. Eberle still has his man, Schultz still has his man, but Nikitin’s decision to back all the way up to the hashmarks before making a play on Smith means that Boston is now guaranteed a shot attempt from a dangerous area.

Smith makes his shot, and it’s a tie game.

I’m picking on Nikitin here, partially because he was wretched against Boston but mostly because this particular play resulted in a goal against. He wasn’t the only guy to do this; Oscar Klefbom in particular was really bad at it, too. A few minutes before Smith scored, he hammered a puck off the goalpost off this zone entry:

It’s hard to tell from that angle, but this is a three-on-four rush by the Bruins. Brad Marchand has to beat both Teddy Purcell and Klefbom at the blue line just to gain the zone. But even with Purcell there to funnel Marchand right into Klefbom, Klefbom backs all the way up, giving Marchand all kinds of space to gain the zone with possession:

Marchand gains the zone, makes a short pass and Smith hits the post.

This is the kind of mistake that’s really interesting because a) defencemen face this situation all the time and b) it’s the kind of thing that can have a large impact on possession numbers. We know that there’s a massive difference in the number of shots a team gets when it is able to carry the puck into the offensive zone as opposed to being forced to dump and chase, and the defencemen who make these decisions correctly time and again are going to be forced to spend a lot less time defending their own zone against opponents who have the puck.

This is the one area where Martin Marincin really shines. Marincin has some notable weak points to his game, but one of his great strengths is that his gap is generally good when defending an opposition rush and he’s excellent at using his reach to prevent the other team from gaining the zone with possession.

It’s the kind of subtle thing that doesn’t stand out the way physical play in front of the net or a good outlet pass do, but it matters a lot all the same.

86 Comments |

Seldom do I call out a player but Nikitan is on the hook for that game he was brutal. Eakins needs to make him accountable for that effort, it is time for tough love. That tying goal made me sick even a bantam player knows to close the gap and make it hard on the forward not close your eyes and hope for the best.

If anyone looks at the last team to pick three #1’s in a row, eventually they were all traded for core pieces on the team. Not saying the Oilers should trade Hall, but I think RNH,Ebs, and Yak should all be on the block for core building pieces. Nordiques got rid of Sundin, Nolan, and Lindros… all becoming part of key trades for the Avalanche to sustain success throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s

Bob Stauffer always uses this analogy when describing the level a player will perform at. “Water always finds its mark”. Have we seen NN best yet? His worse? Is he any better than Belov was last season?

He compares to CAM Barker IMO. He is overhyped and he under delivers.

NN is definitely in the running for Oilers Goat of the Year along with Teddy “do nothing” Purcell.

What is Purcell waiting for when he is on the ice? The descriptors of his game were certainly true. He certainly is an edge player. Have yet to see him approach the net never mind the blue paint.

Tonight may be the most pivotal game this season. Lose and all confidence and trust in the coaching staff an all good will MacT has tried to glean from the Oilers fans will be gone.

Thankfully coach’s salary’s don’t count against the cap.

If I were GM I’d waive Teddy Purcell and bring up Tyler Pitlick and go get B.Shenn or Anisimov.

Perhaps you can list which players were traded this year that were due to cap problem?

And even in this case, the teams will trade away their least desired player. Do you think the Blues will trade away Backes and Pietrangelo? They traded Perron because he is the guy they don’t want to keep anymore, whether they have cap problem or not because they need the roster spot.

Players are traded for all sorts of reasons. Leddy and Boychuk were moved due to cap issues. Richards, Carter and Seguin were traded due to concerns with off-ice behavior. Spezza and Kelser were traded because they wanted out. Perron was traded because of cap issues out too. If there was no cap StL wouldn’t have moved him.

Off course teams prefer to trade players that don’t fit their long term plans. Edm did that with Gagner. That doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t valuable to another team (ex. Bishop in TB).

To suggest though that the only players traded are less desirable ones is just silly.

With this many teams, true difference makers are spread thin. Teams will rarely part with them and only trade marginal players, trying to find the right chemistry. Particularly #1 D-men. A shot at Connor McDavid however might loosen a top line player.

You are right about Marincin he does have good gap control.
To my eye he is also one of the best at moving the puck out of zone and one of the faster defenders.
His weakness is that he can be worn down by bigger forwards ..This was why they sat him but he brings more strengths than weakness compared to his replacement.

I miss Bobby Clobber from a few years ago when he told it like it was. Just like Dellow, hired to be shut up. And of course Klefbomb is going to back right in and roll out the red carpet because that’s how we do it here. I don’t understand it. But that’s what coach says.

Went to the Rodeo at Rexall last night. Man I loved the Team Roping. Two guys with such precision and timing with a lasoo, and they can lasoo a head and back leg and tie up a calf in under 10 seconds.

Oilers can’t make a 10 foot pass or figure out how to play team defence for 10 seconds. The Oilers are not built to be a playoff team, but a have enough pieces to be a coheasive unit, but make junior mistakes. Oilers need to simply the game and figure out how to reduce mental mistakes. Eakins has had 90 games now? Will they figure this out in the next 90?

Until the Oilers can improve their gap control, not just the defence, in all three zones, we will be a mediocre team.

Giving teams a free pass through the neutral zone is mystifying to say the least.

I get on our D for not pinching more aggressively in on O zone to help the cycle, but when I see what happens when the puck gets out and the forwards have to help on D leads me to think its better they don’t. Just scary.

gee, what a shocker! Our self-proclaimed #1D is nothing more than a glorified Right-Winger, our best defenceman is treated like garbage and on the trade block, and our best young up and comming D is constantly sent down and benched.

I wonder why we have such problems.

Maybe its cause the inadequate D in Nikitin and Ferrence getting primo minutes when they can barely play the game anymore. Or maybe its the Norris Trophy candidate in Schultz who cant push a guy off the puck, close the gap, or play any single element of defense.

Or maybe its the fact that we’ve never had a very good team. Ever!

At least we can look forward to another 30yr celebration of the Stanley Cup next year.

I just don’t get how the oilers expect to ice any sort of respectable defence using other teams reject players. Name one defenseman acquired outside of the system over the last 5 years who has actually elevated their game once in Oilers silks

Man… it strikes me as completely ridiculous that a professional hockey team can struggle with something as fundamental as gap control.
Egad.
Thats a peewee level concept and skill requirement. If not sooner.

Big difference between basic gap control in PeeWee and much more complex gap control in the NHL.

The higher the level, the more the skill, the more the speed, the quicker the transitions, the greater the offensive tactics to defend against, the greater the individual tactics required to defend, the greater the group tactics that are required to defend.

Dealing with effective gap control is one of the main reasons it takes d men longer to establish themselves in the NHL, as compared to forwards and in particular wingers.

Oiler d men are struggling at gap control and backing in on net, partly due to their own learning curves but also – more than people realize, because Oiler forwards are not supporting the process properly.

If the D stand up without correct forward support, leading up to the attempt, at the point of contact and after the point of contact – it can get pretty ugly.

Memorial quote in today’s Calgary Herald from Jay Feaster ex GM of the Flames. He is now employed by the Lightning where the Flames played last night….When asked about the Edmonton Oilers finishing ahead of the Flames;

“I’m tired of this question, How many teams every year fro the last 10 years, 5 years, 8 years, have finished in the bottom 5, bottom 7, bottom 10? They had a pick anywhere from No. 1 to No. 10 year after year after year, and they still wander in the desert. And they’re no closer to getting out than they were 10 years ago. You know what I look forward to the Battle of Alberta for the next X years….”

Not rubbing it in..I really feel for the fans in Edmonton. They are tired of this act!

Julien made a necessary change in third period strategy that led to their victor over Oilers. We never adapted as usual , and another game was frittered away . So the Bruins players said . This happens to our team often during the course of games , and shows the lack of depth of players and perhaps coaching to adjust to those changes . Outshot in third 14-5 .

We are in the 9th year . Oilers have been the worst team in the NHL in that span. There is something wrong, they tried firing coaches and GM’s and others. Now after 9 years they arguably have 2 players i would not trade.

You get the fancy stat people out and all they have is their stats which they cling too. The 1 stat they forget is wins and losses.

I have to believe there is serious problem in philosophy on how to build a team.

The people running the team are suppose to be professionals and they get paid well. Worst team in the NHL for 9 years. Does not take a genius to figure out Oilers have only 2 centers a 4th line and a 1st line.

Nathan McKinnon, the 1 pick overall and one of the best prospects in some time, was eased into the lineup on the WING. Jonathan Drouin, gets sent back to Junior. But Draisitle is expected to be a number 2 centre? With this Defence? Mac T made a few nice moves but its an epic fail to not add depth to the centre position. I get that a true 2 line centre is hard to come by, but he should have been able to get someone with some pro experience off a team loaded with centres. Along the lines of the Canucks picking up Linden Vey from LA.

Hopefully the Oilers move Shultz + something at or before the deadline for a legitimate NHL 2nd pairing (4th defensman)

Hopefully the Oilers resign Petry

Hopefully the Oilers buy out Ferrence

Oilers will cleanse themselves of Purcell somehow

Hopefully they realize enough with the other teams rejects (that they could acquire through signings for much cheaper) and instead use talent from Oklahoma suh at the finnish player, Lander, and Pitlik….(if your not getting good results.. might as well go cheap)

Management has this whole thing messed up boyond repair. They trade anyone that will say anything, kind of like Stoll, Souray, Pronger, and Moreau then keep the players who wont say anything bad about the organizaton kind of like Horcoff, Pisani, Gags, and Hemsky.

Now the kids, key word being kids are not going to say anything because there were coached not to.

I bet in the locker room kind feels like area 51 where you don’t acknowledge it or talk about it an if you do, well you know what happened to the last guy that talk….. he was held on the farm team.

I had to laugh at Stauff last night when he was singing the praises of Aulie. In the last 3 minutes of the game Aulie was on the ice and he gave the puck away 3 times in one shift! What the hell was so good about his play?? This team and this management is f’d up!

Great post Willis. I love seeing articles like this where plays are dissected. Hopefully we can get Strudwick/Sutherby to start doing more like this.

I’d also just like to point out that I think the problem begins a couple frames earlier than you identified. The issue here is the size of the gap Nikitin left between himself and Smith, which can be seen in the 3rd and even second screenshots. At the point where you say the Oilers are in “good shape”, Nikitin is already screwed. If he tries to stand Smith up at the blueline, he will be standing still and will likely get burned. Choosing to back in is actually probably the lesser of two evils at this point.

Also if Eberle was doing his job (backchecking up the middle), I doubt this play happens.